199 victories but against Victor Sullivan ain't one! Conquer Club celebrity and Freemium Fighter, Robinette, is getting closer and closer to finalizing her Fabulous Five to play in a 6-player game for her potential 200th win! Confirmed players include well-known Trekkie, Woodruff, His Chattiness, trinicardinal, and former Social Media manageress, squishyg. Currently, three are in the running for the final two spots (much to the dismay of the shiny-headed man from Lipps, Inc., Funkyterrance), including German poet, Janomike, "factual brit" and Christmas brick, Fruitcake, and the potentially-schmoozing Victor Sullivan. Who will get stuck with the short end of the stick? Link

In more personal news, I've joined a new clan called "A Question of Honour" led by tournament enthusiast and former LotZ member, kuma32478. I hope to document my experiences in my first active clan! I hope too that you'll join me, and maybe share your experiences as a clan member! In addition, I hope to take to Live Chat with some questions about strategy for high-rankers and experts to fill up the Office of Strategic Services! Just giving you a picture what might be coming up in the way of content

Which brings me to some sad news! We're running very short-staffed these days! PM me or the appropriate Executive to be a Reporter or Writer for any section of the Dispatch you wish to write for. As always, we've got General Contribution Medals for our dedicated Writers and Reporters

As for this issue, we've got an interview from L M S, an apparently 'famous' survey of mapmakers by thehippo8, some clan mumbo-jumbo I'm still trying to get into and learn about, and our dear DaveH is back with Tip #23. Not only that, but now we've got all of DaveH's Tournament Tips in a convenient thread in the Tournaments forum! Check it out!

P.S. We're working on our punctuality, but we thought it best to delay a couple days to publish L M S's interrogation P.P.S. (or is it P.S.S.? I don't think I've ever been told which is correct ) kentington will be back with another Comic ConquerClub next issue and every month!

If you would like to apply to join the news team, please visit the thread below for more details!

Hello again readers. Hope those of you in school are surviving. This issue, we have another scum insider, and L M S talks about alcohol and jeans. Look forward to another 'Comic ConquerClub' by kentington next issue and every month!

Want to get into the Mafia scene, but don't know how to play or even what it is? Consult these threads: Mafia Information, Mafia and You, and Rules and Terms of Mafia.Too much work? Too lazy to read through everything? No worries, you can always jump right into a game and ask for other players or the game runner to help guide you.

What is "Mafia"?Mafia, for those of you that don't know, is a game that generally takes place in a town, where the townspeople have to determine who the mafia (or "scum") is and lynch them via a majority vote during the day and the mafia try to kill everyone at night and bluff their way out of getting killed by the town.

Mafia NewsPsychology Mafia ended with a close mafia win. A mafia role manipulation managed to frame the town player into getting shot by the vig. Very well played game by all involved.

Mafia CalloutsCalling all players interested! Some mafia games need some filling:

What is It?Duplicate roles is a general modding mechanic where there are multiple versions of a single role in the game. It's most common with multiple cop roles, but can also be applied to almost any role. In general, it's more prevalent in larger games than smaller ones. Games with 20+ players tend to have duplicate roles for balance/lack of variety reasons.

ExampleBoth Jack and Alice are cops. It could be that Jack is sane and Alice is insane. It could be that Jack is town and Alice is mafia. It depends on mod preferences, game size, and balance.

How to Use this StrategyIt is rarer for two roles to have the exact same alignment and sanity. In general, when two players on the same faction have the same role, one is generally insane or has some other condition/sanity and one is sane. If two people claim the same role, it often is a result of one being town and one being anti-town, especially if multiple anti-town factions like cult exist.

Q. Are you related to John Watson's eLeMeNtree?No, but if saying I am will get me a piece of Lucy Liu then… why, absolutely!Q. Do you even know what that is?Please kid, challenge me.

Q. Large, Medium or Small?Nope.Q. Light, Might or Sight?Nope.

Q. Lap, Map or Sap?Nope.

Q. List, Myst or Cyst?Nope, and The Myst was the absolute worst movie I have ever seen in a theater…I remember it so well because it was the first ‘movie date’ I ever took my (eventual) wife on. She still gives me grief for that one. (she’s a wonderful woman)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0884328/ - If you are feeling froggy, don’t ever say I didn’t warn you though.

Q. LOL, Mole or Sole?Nope.You never even came close.

Q. If you could change your clan name (assuming you would) what would you change it to?I wouldn’t change it. However, if we were to my suggestion would be:Everybody ElseAs in:KORT vs. Everybody Else

Q. And are you related to the alphabet?No but in total there are 22 Letters and 3 spaces in my real name, which just about qualifies me I think. Truthfully it’s a pain in the ass to have a name that long. It never fits in any of the forms I need to fill out (like the DMV for example screwed it up so it would fit on my driver’s license…it was a real nightmare trying to get my passport after that) and there are as many variations as you can think of out there. It takes five minutes to go through them all when I am at the Doctor's office for example, just to find my files.Balls.

Q. Recently (and no so recently), there have been debate about if its correct to foe people you have won, in order to get medals. What's your position in this debate?Well I happen to agree with Iron Maid on this one. http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=177349As a fellow medal chasing whore (I can’t help myself, its digital crack to me), I HATE it when the same player joins more than two of my waiting games at a time so I have to actively manage my waiting games for this reason. I do employ the foe feature after a win regularly on medal chasing games. If there was another way I would be happy to do it. My foe list is enormous (to be fair so is my friends list) and I plan on reviewing it and removing a ton of players after I get 143 more trench UD’s to go solid gold.

Q. Is it true you've managed to get all gold medals but one with completely shitty dice? What's your secret?Great teammates.

Q. TOFU or real meat?I’ll take a New York Strip any day.Q. As a founding member of FOED, and brewer, what is the #1 beer you recommend?Not sure what being a founding member of FOED has to do with it (did you know I named the clan?) anyway…My all time favorite beer is actually one I make myself. It is called Black Canyon Porter. Absolutely delicious and it carries about 12.5% ABV, which is a perk .I make (regularly) 6 different kinds of beer, including:Black Canyon PorterDrunken Bear IPA1954 Pale AleAllison AmberBlitzen (My Christmas beer)Mad Bastard Honey Nut BrownI also make my own Wine. So far only Chardonnay and Merlot but I plan on expanding that selection. I make my own Kahlua as well.Recently, I have started brewing something called Mama Juana. It’s a local spirit from the Dominican Republic that includes lots of Dark Rum, Red Wine, Honey, Molasses and some native spices…quite delicious and it is locally known as “Liquid Viagra.” Nothing wrong with a little 91 octane in the tank from time to time I say.One day I’ll have a still in the garage and I’m planning to make Whiskey (I think I’ll call it L M S’s Special Reserve ) and my own Brandy.If I had to choose a commercially available beer, it would have to be Old Chub.

Q. Have you ever owned a pair of socks with initials written on them?None with my initials.

Q. Since we all know the Denver Broncos suck, what's your favorite NFL team?That coming from a Cowboys fan…I tell you what punk, I’ll put next year’s premium on The Broncos to go farther into the playoffs than The Cowboys do, all day long. You up for that wager ya candy-ass?

Q. Can you crush an orange with just your bicep? I (Master Fenrir) can. Jealous?Nope, but I can open a beer with my forearm and I can move my eyes independently of each other. Beat that you homer.

Q. Which is worse: being really ugly or being really poor, and why?If you are gonna be ugly, rich ugly is easily the way to go…that is it seemed to work out just fine for guys like Michael Douglas among others. Just one example….

Q. Do you bother eating breakfast? If not, is it because you agree with me (Master Fenrir) that breakfast has the lowest taste-to-prep time ratio of all three meals?It is pretty tough to knock bacon dude. A cup (or 10) of coffee is my usual.

Q. Can you explain to me (Master Fenrir) the fantasy of being with twins? I'd think that you'd just get tired of them twice as fast, but I could be wrong here.Being with actual twins (at the same time) is creepy, I don’t care who you are. Now, being with two women at the same time who look similar enough to be twins but aren’t? I’m completely fine with that and I am forced as a self respecting man to encourage this behavior. My thought is this, if you are fortunate enough to be in this situation you better take video and some Cialis, a lot of Cialis. Close enough for me dude.The reality is that someone, somewhere, is sick of their shit too though bro.Q. What was the last truly feminine thing that you did?I can’t really think of anything for this one but I guess I can tell you that I can (proficiently) do a triple pirouette and I know how to knit. It is what it is man. Give me any shit about it and you won't get your Christmas Scarf this year either foo'.

Q. Yesterday I (Master Fenrir) saw something crazy. I was walking down the street and the sidewalk dipped down where it met the lower pavement of a traversing alleyway. Coming towards me was a woman on a bicycle. She went down her dip in the sidewalk, crossed the alley, and then went to come up onto my side of the sidewalk, but she misjudged how far over she was, and instead of coming up the smooth little ramp area, she slammed right into the raised curb. Her entire body and bike shook violently and her breasts popped out the top of her tank top. Her instinct was to cover her breasts with both hands, but in doing so, she let go of the handle bars which immediately jerked 90 degrees to the side, causing her to topple over and slam into the building at her side shoulder-first. Now, here's my question: What would you have done if you were me? Would you just keep walking and pretend nothing happened, or do you stop and bend down and try to help her out, risking causing her to freak out thinking that you're trying to grope her exposed breasts?Well quite clearly she was coming on to you. Knowing you as well as I do, her elaborate ruse was completely unnecessary as you are a total horn dog anyway. 100% - I’d shoplift the pooty.

Q. Who is your favourite:ororor? Curious that you chose those images…The Wall happens to be my favorite album of all time.Most times I feel more like this…Q. Are you toys in the attic crazy, or just truly gone fishing crazy?Toys in the Attic.

Q. What is your preferred brand of hard alcohol?Depends on my mood. Jack Daniels, Tangueray, Christian Brothers, Crown Royal Black all make the list.

Q. How much do you drink on the average weeknight? Weekend?Not too much these days, I’ll have a beer or two or a drink...but I gave up drinking in order to get drunk a long time ago.

Q. Tits or ass? Megas or jefjef?How do you choose between those…….impossible. I’d have to go with my friend Megas .

Q. Now that AT&T Uverse has the Longhorn Network, how long before other carriers cave in and carry it too?Really Dan, that’s your question?I’d love to answer you but that seems to be a particularly Texas question so screw that. Let’s just watch this funny video instead.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM0VUqIkZ1Q

Q. If you were going to get a tattoo, what would it be and where?I do have a tattoo. It is on my lower right leg and it is a version of the marching hammers from Pink Floyd’s The Wall.In my lifetime I will get two more, one for my Mother and one for my Father when they pass away.

Q. What was your first paying job?My first paying job was a shoe salesman in the mall. My a-hole step dad owned it and forced me to do it. I was 11 and I was awesome at it. $1.50/hour.

Q. What is something you know you do differently than other people?I’m positive that I am the ONLY person in Colorado that knows how to drive.

Q. What is the nicest thing a friend has ever done for you?My friends are the best in the world. I’d give any of them the shirt off my back or my very last dollar if asked. I know I didn’t answer directly but they have done too many great things for me to list just one.Q. L M S was a famous locomotive operator many years ago. Have we inadvertently let a trainspotter into the clan?You have not, but I can tell you that one of my favorite ways to alleviate stress is to scream my heart out at a passing freight train, I learned that one as a kid and it has always stuck with me.Q. Which would you prefer - consistently good luck or consistently good strategy?I believe you make your own luck, so there you go.

Q. What is your pet peeve when playing games on CC?Oh my.How the heck do you expect me to narrow it down to just one sir? I could easily go on about this one….Hmmmmm…I would say that consistently over the 6 years-ish that I have been here - the biggest in-game pet peeve I have, would have to be the way some players can’t seem to take their own turns. It is clear that my preferred game type is the team game so obviously I think communication is the most important thing……BUT……people, for crying out loud sometimes you just gotta make a decision and go with it. And if you join one more standard game (or any game I’m not even in) and then ask me to walk you through it (I don’t mean help with a couple things, I mean essentially take every turn for you), I…I can’t even describe the color of steam coming out my left ear about this.

The list for Non-In-Game Pet Peeves is a long one too…we should chat about it sometime.oy vey.

Q. Who is your favourite comedian?When I was a kid growing up in the 80’s I listened to Eddie Murphy non-stop because that cassette was stuck in the only tape player I had, so I pretty much know that backwards and forwards.Anymore I find my own friends to be the funniest people I know. My brother is one of those people that every time he opens his mouth, hilarious stuff rolls out. He is not intentional about it, it’s just the way he is.

Q. Why is a mouse when it spins?Is it sad that I actually know the answer to this question?Because the higher the fewer, of course.No Soap, Radio.Q. I (Master Fenrir) went to H&M this past Sunday to pick up a couple new pairs of jeans, but all the Eurotrash had already bought everything in my size. What's up with that?Way to bring that one ‘round bud, this is why I love you man…you pay attention.Q. Let's say that, like me (Master Fenrir), you then head into Express for Men to buy some jeans. As you're looking around, you realize that the jeans that you're currently wearing are Express. Does that make you feel weird? Like that you're a walking advertisement? Or that maybe after you get out of the fitting room that they're going to think that you're trying to jack a pair of pants?Let me ask you something? How much do you pay for your Express for Men Jeans? Because unless they make your ass look like this:(that photo is just for you Wolf)You should just go to target and save some money bro.

Q. Speaking of the mall, can you think of a worse job than being one of the people working in those little kiosks selling stuff like Proactiv? I'd (Master Fenrir) have a hard time doing something for 8 hours while thousands of people walk past me thinking "God, it must suck to be him."People still go to the mall? Porno Theater Janitor. Worst. Job. Ever.No contest.

Q. What do you think of the invite system for public games?I think the invite system for PUBLIC games is in the top 3 worst things that have happened to CC. We got along just fine before it and actually had a good time meeting new teammates, shocking I know. I can’t imagine how a new member even gets into a high ranking game to learn anything anymore. No wonder the attrition rate is so high…has anyone ever studied the correlation? Would be interesting to prove or disprove that theory.That being said, I can’t imagine clan life without that feature.

Q. What is your favorite Davie Bowie song other than all the ones from the movie Labyrinth?I’m going with The Man Who Sold the World in that case. Although, being a 20 something in the 90’s, I like Nirvana’s version too.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fregObNcHC8Interesting personal anecdote in consideration of the Labyrinth movie…I went to a stage performance of Michael Moschen, once upon a time. He was the guy that did all the ‘juggling’ (I guess you can call it that) in the movie. I was sitting in the middle of the audience and about 25 rows back. He came into the audience for a volunteer to come up on stage and guess who he chose…Initially I was terrified, but it turned out to be hilarious and a lot of fun performing on stage with that guy that night. Here is a sample of some of his other cool stuff.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjHoedoSUXYand of course there is always this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OTb8tga-yg&feature=related

Q. When you are riding an elevator with a metrosexual male, do you:A: feel more masculine knowing that he exists, and realize that no matter what you have going on in life, things could always be worseB: notice how well coordinated his attire is including shoelaces matching his earings, and immediately become impressedC: Become embarrassed that he has the exact same haircut that you doD: Become flattered that he has the exact same haircut as youE: Tell him about the absolute best brand of tweezers for getting those eyebrows nice and shapely, and offer him the extra one that you always keep on your personWhere do you work dude?

Q. What was the final score of the best of 100 series of 1v1 games that you and I (wolfpack0530) played?Not sure if we ever finished that but I do know that you hacked the dice crazy-like (or maybe it was just that you didn’t have any teammates to attack) and therefore were winning that challenge handsomely.Q. Who was the player that convinced you to give clan life a shot?You my Wolf-Mullet-Brother and I thank you. It is the single reason I am still here and active.Let me ask you these: What tourney was that again, the one we met in? How many tourney’s had I won at that time? Who won that particular tourney? Who were the last two standing in that particular tourney again?Q. Who would win in a fight. a wolfpack or a master of fenrirs? What would be the reasons why the victorious party prevailed?Considering our current clan war(s), I’m gonna have to go with the Master of Fenrir’s in a landslide.Reason's why?Great teammates. I'm awesome, just ask me.

Q. So, LMS, you're walking along, minding your own business, when you stop and see, coming towards you, your greatest wish fulfillment ever. What do you do next?That has already happened, except I was standing in front of about 200 people…I said, “I do too.”Q. What's your stance on two-drink minimums?If you can’t afford to drink in a bar (and tip properly), go to the liquor store you cheap bastard.

Q. What's in your fridge right now? Cold stuff.Q. What are the best places to eat and drink in Denver? Do I (macbone) need a reservation? What if I told them you sent me? What about ribs, man? Where's the best place to get 'em? I mean, nice and juicy, no frills, nothing like that, maybe in a brown paper bag or something on styrofoam plates. Are rib shacks even legal in Denver?That depends on your age, income level, and taste my friend. If you are ever out here I’ll show you a good time man. I have lived here for the better part of 38 years, lol, I know my city pretty well.If you want ribs just come over to my house, I’ll make the beer too.

Q. On the weekend, what do you do with your time? Where do you like to go?Most often I find myself remodeling my house. Just last week I finished up building my new kitchen…yes, board by board. This week I will be finishing up with the install of my new exterior windows. Fun stuff. When I’m not doing that you can find me here or down at my favorite local fishin’ hole.

Thanks all, that was fun.

Hey, folks! Sully here again. Viceroy63 has come back for an issue to talk about what I'm sure many SoC Training Grounds students are oh too familiar with: Classic Standard and Classic Terminator. There's a discussion topic already in the main SoC Training Grounds forum: viewtopic.php?f=341&t=178128&view=unread#p3889733 Share your thoughts!

In other news, the Office of Strategic Services is a little short on Reporters! So many positions to fill and so many General Contribution Medals weighing down my pockets... Who knows? Maybe you'll be writing the intro to this section in a few issues!

If I were your friend from the Czech Republic, you might call me your "Czech mate"

---The following article is meant for thought provoking and entertainment purposes. A link to a discussion thread can be found at the bottom of the page.

Classic Secrets: Standard Vs. Terminatorby Viceroy63

The question recently came up as it often does among new recruits about the difference between Standard and Terminator games. What is the difference between these two types of game settings; Which is better for play and points and if Terminator games must be spoken or written in a heavy "Austrian" accent (I'll be baack)?

As most of us regular CCer's know; In Standard games, you win all the points of all the players upon winning the game. Yet in Terminator games you only receive the points of the players that you eliminate from the game. Thus you can end up winning the terminator game yet only receiving the total score of only one player if you only eliminated one player in the course of winning the game. If that is the case, is there a different strategy that can best be applied to each type of game?

The answer is yes and no. In either standard or terminator games, you do not want to waste time and energy eliminating other players unless you receive immediate, mid game spoils from their elimination that more than makes up for the time and energy spent in the elimination. But eliminating just one player and then being eliminated yourself gets one nowhere in a Terminator game and is completely unprofitable in a standard game.

You must always be careful of not making too big of a target of yourself in the process of the game. But in terminator games if you get the chance to eliminate at least two players then it may be worth it rather than going for the game win. Other wise you really just want to conserve your troops strength until the spoils trade becomes high enough to win the whole game by eliminating all the other players for all of their spoils in either game.

In Terminator games all you need to accomplish is at least two good kills and even if you are eliminated you still go up in score and eventually rank. This means that in Terminator games, you don't need to win the game to come out ahead in the game. With just a couple of good kills, even if you are eliminated then at least you come out of the game with more points and a higher score. That is the option that one has in Terminator games that one does not have in Standard games.

In summing this up. Standard games are for patient folks who like to think ahead for the possible kills and winning the whole game by preparing for possible contingencies should the win fall upon them. While the Terminator game is the same only with the option to go for just a couple of kills at the end instead of the whole game. This is a good option to have if you find that you may end up being eliminated from the game in the next round or so.

The kind of player that you are will determine which style of game you will enjoy best. If you are sure of your skills and want to play for all the "Marbles" then you go with Standard game settings. If you are not so sure of yourself and want the possible option to go for a couple of good kills and end your game, then you go with Terminator. The options is for how the game will end for you.

Hello again my friends, and welcome to your favorite part of the Newsletter, "War Games", where you can find information about CC Tournaments!

I present the second part of my interview with BluU, Dave has his regular TPA Update, and James has once again done a great job of presenting Join This? Or Not!

The 23rd installment of Dave's Tournament Tips is here, but you now also be able to find them in the Tournament Info forum, more specifically here pursuant to a promise we made a while back. (Is that enough links to keep it interesting?) Thanks greenoaks for the original suggestion, chapcrap and Leehar and Victor Sullivan for all your various inputs into the process, and above all DaveH for the hard work of actually writing these!

In Issue 78 of the Dispatch we presented Part One of our BluU, the third-highest winner in the Tournament Winners Hall of Fame. Now, as promised, we present Part Two, where we go beyond BluU's incredible career as a tournament winner and explore his new direction as a tournament organiser.

Dispatch: At what point did you decide you wanted to start organising tournaments?

BluU: I wanted to start it long time ago, but I was too busy or too lazy to do it. I thought that it is much harder work than it is really is, so when I had a slow period at work I thought to give it a try and found out that it is pretty simple and fun.

You have eight tournaments complete, seven ongoing, and two in signups. Ten of those seventeen are part of your Zoom Into series, so I guess let's talk about those first. For those who aren't familiar with them, please describe the general format.

This is a single elimination tournament, in which you start as the classic map and zoom into smaller region maps like you might do when you use google earth. So the 2nd round map will be of a smaller region like one of the continent map, and the next one will be on a smaller region and so on. Most of the tournaments in the series will be 1 vs 1 games, but I also plan (and even have one tourney running) of team game tournaments zooming into a specific map area during a specific time in worlds history. WWII for example.

I really like that zoom-in theme, (although to be honest I haven't joined any of them.) Are you a map lover in general? Were you the kind of kid who browsed atlases for fun?

I'm pretty shocked. You hit the nail on the head there . I used to look at atlases an maps for fun and spent a lot of time on it. Memorized capitals and flags and become pretty good. Drew maps of imaginary lands. Yup. Our kind makes the core of the war-gaming community...

Have you ever thought about launching a CC map in the Foundry?

I thought of launching a map but I have and had some problems in that area. The major one was me having poor skills in graphic design apps. Most of the map that you can find in CC look so professional from graphic point of view that I thought I couldn't get close to that. A lot of Maps ideas that I had thought of proposing, ended up being submitted by others, which I'm glad they did . I thought NYC, Scandinavia and a map of the worlds' oceans and seas would be a great idea, and obviously some other people had the same ideas, and I'm glad they submitted it. I'm pretty surprised there is no Indonesia map out there, as this is the world's 4th largest nation and it's map is a very interesting archipelago. I hope someone will use it.

Few weeks ago my desire to submit a map came again, but when I entered the map's makers forum I witnessed the makers strike. I read how much time they spent and I saw their complaints about the lack of support by site developers (I'm not taking a side here, just reporting what I read). So that pretty discouraged me from starting that process. I don't know if I have enough patience to endure months before the map is launched.

I admire the map makers for their work, creativity and patience.

I can share with you my idea of a map, and maybe someone will pick it up and go with it. The map will be played on a dice. Each face of the dice will be a different bonus area, The terits will be the dice dots. One will be able to attack from one dot to an adjusting dot on the same face or nearby dots on another face. All middle dots will be connected as well. My name for that map will be "Blame the Dice", A thing a lot of players, including myself, do.

Here is a rough sketch.

Click image to enlarge.

Again I have poor graphic skills Ach, no need to apologise. Most of us do. Still, with practice you might make something of it.

Anyway, let's talk about your other series now, the "Hold the Capital". How did you come up with this idea?

It's only the 2nd tournament so I won't call it a series yet

I just looked to combine matches on different maps that include a terit with the same name. Capitals were obvious to use as they are very common in several maps (and you can also insert my geography geekines here ) . I wanted to reward something that is not the current object in CC games, so I came up with holding the capital at the end of round 6, in an escalating multi player match)Yes I know this is not perfect, and people that draw the last spot on the round have a big advantage. But luck has huge impact in CC, we already talked about it. After the first tournament I sent a letter to all participants asking for ideas how to make the tourney better and one of them suggested the two capitals idea. This tourney is still ongoing, but it seems that the points are distributed better, so this concept might stick. My only problem is recruiting, as it is hard to find players for a tourney with long rules (which I understand as a player). Also as there is a different objective, players must understand that in order to win in the tournament they might opt to use tactics that will cause them to lose CC points. Not all players are willing to do that (which I totally understand too.)

Even with the rule change, it's quite a difficult goal to achieve. Still, for the first time I managed one..

I imagine it will be quite hard continuing the series though. Outside of Europe, there aren't too many areas where different maps cover the same territory. Do you have any candidates in mind for the next one?

I have a list of all the capitals and the map they are featured in. I made it when I thought there will only be one capital per tourney. There are 39 capitals featured in 3 maps or more! 16 out of Europe.But finding 3 maps that all include the same two different capitals... That I'm not sure I can find much.So I'm not sure I'll keep this format, or restrict it to capitals.

Bejing\Seoul Or Beijing\Moscow Baghdad\Kabul might be candidates if I keep current format.

In my WKRP in Cincinatti tournament, I tried a somewhat similar premise, the fact that there are three maps that explicitly name Cincinatti. The problem I've run into is that they have nothing else in common, and despite the unifying theme the tourney seems disjointed.

Have you had any feelings that you might have trouble, marrying simple and complex maps in the same tournament, and ending up with an inconsistent feel?

On the contrary:I thought that having several maps of several sizes and types is good for the tournament. I on purpose chose some with winning conditions in hope of someone trying to steal the win while the others focus at the capitals. I really love random map setting as it shows your versatility in different maps. I think this tournament is great for such player like myself that are versatile, or try to be versatile by playing different type of maps.

And last but not least, we come to what for lack of a better term, I would call the "Assassin on small maps" series. Are you projecting where you will go with that? Will you gradually move to larger maps with it?

I might go to mid size maps once I ran out of small maps. Or I might rerun the series. I've yet to decide on that. These tournaments filled out relatively fast. I think that this is due to the small map assassin mode, which is pretty popular. Obviously, they run really fast too.

Have you set any specific goals? Are you chasing the TO Hall of Fame with the vigour that you've chased the TW Hall of Fame? I notice you're a member of Medal Heads -- maybe you can catch jricart with TO medals...

I don,t have such goals as the target seems to far away. Achieving it will take too much time. Time that I don't want to commit on. I know that they are players that played way too much and that might have cause them to lose interest inte site altogether. I'm in it to enjoy the ride. And since I'm enjoying it now I keep on riding

As a break from the coding to set up a tournament, I'll be showing you the way in which a table of values can be "looked up". The coding discussed is code I use to transfer a set of scores from a lookup table and assign them to a player according to their final position in a tournament.

The particular use is for updating the Tournament Players' Association scoresheet. Each tournament has its own sheet with the following layout:There is a list of the players' names in order of placement; their actual place and the routine that I will describe puts the scores in according to the placements. Note that some players share a position so must each have the same score which is the average of the total scores assigned to their different placements.

Note that 1, 2 or 3 are assigned to the "TourneyType" unless there is none of the three words in the correct position (row=1; column=5) in which case an error message is shown and the subroutine terminated.Now find out how many players are in the tournament by scanning down the list until a blank is found:

Note that k is equal to the player's position in row j and if k is larger than 33 then k is assigned to 33. This is because the score table is only 33 rows deep and all positions after 33 get the points as assigned to position 33.

Now let's see the points table and how Vlookup works.This table is set up on a separate sheet with the name "Scoring. The table has to be defined firstly by highlighting the table and going to the menu Insert/Name/Define and enter the name of the table. You will see that the range of the table you highlighted appears in the range box.The next line of code is: l = WorksheetFunction.VLookup(k, Sheets("Scoring").Range("A2:D34"), TourneyType + 1, False)OK so it looks complex, but think of is as VLookup(Row Value, Table, Position, Partial match?), the first value being the value of the row, which is k; then the table which is on sheet "Scoring" and from A2 to D32 in range; then the column position of the score which is one more than the TourneyType variable; then FALSE ensures an exact match otherwise it would be the nearest value.

So we have variable (l) equal to the points for a given position according to one of three possible values in the table. Now we check to see what the next player's position is. If the next value is the same then we have to keep checking the following players positions to see if they also are the same - so that an average score has to be applied.

"m" is used to count the number of players at position k. The "While-Wend" routine runs around itself until a different position is detected at which point m is equal to the number of players at the same position and l is the total of the scores in each position.The last bit is to put the score into the sheet:

Either m = 0 to show that only one player has that position, or m is the number of players in the same position in which case all the scores relating to the different players (l) are divided by the number of players (m) and rounded up to an integer, then copied into all these players' positions.

Next week will either be a continuation of setting up a tournament or the code I use in transferring these scores to a master spreadsheet of results.

(These "tips" are ones that I have tried to make it a bit easier in managing my own tournaments. I am sure there are different and better methods than these, so please let me know. Any queries on the above I'll be glad to respond to! Please note that I use Excel 2003, so there may be variation in the menu instructions if you have Excel 2007)

The 1st Open Centrum, although rescued by HighlanderAttack, it now seems to have stalled again, so may need rescuing - in which case we may shorten it as it was only just past its planned half-way stage!

TPA 1 StandingsTPA Season 2: State of PlayNo change since the last edition with 17 completed tournaments. Two tournaments have recently been rescued though; "Beat the Odds" and "ContinentConquer".

TPA 2 StandingsTPA Season 3We have now started - OK, so we have a logo ripped off from the 2011 logo, but I'm afraid that's the best I can do with my limited selection of software! Gilligan has kicked off with his major tournament, Super Smash Bros. Quadruples League and jonty125 has a Premier Mastermind tournament. From Super Smash Brothers to Mastermind, we already have as wide a selection as we could have!

Now we just need a few more TO's to come forward and add to the list! We are looking for a couple of Standard tournaments in November to complete the first block of tournaments. So, if you have a favourite tournament, why not revamp it for TPA3?

The bonus money is king in elonpuckhog's tournament of 6-player games across numerous world maps. Competitors capitalize on point as a result of their swift domineering play and reinforcements for held regions. All players take part in each of the three rounds, ensuring mass continent-sweeping and an interesting finish.

Let's a-go, it's-a me, Mario! Breathe the excitement and glory of Nintendo gaming days with Gilligan's Super Smash Brothers tournament. Instead of smashing buttons, you'll be smashing the mouse as you conquer territories in a team of four. Represent your favorite character--from Kirby to Diddy Kong to Link--and be the last to survive in this TPA tournament!

Sweep the states with a friend in the 39th edition of the Initech series, which showcases all eight U.S. maps. With just one round of play, and 24 games ongoing simultaneously, this time-honored competition tests the endurance and discipline of all 24 Doubles teams. Teams will shuffle through two-team, three-team, and four-team games, garnering specific amounts of points as a result. Don't let the thousands of miles wear down your will for victory!

Forge a victory with complete, utter strangers in mcshanester29's all-around tournament. Randomness will toss you and three others together as you take on opponents in 1v1, Doubles, Triples, and Quadruples games on random maps. With unexpected allies, those with superior communication and adaptive tactics shall prevail. There's only a few more spots available in this second edition, so be sure to join quickly for a spot!

If you're craving tourney action now, check out the Requests for Immediate Players section of the tournament forum. You can be playing very quickly after signing up as a reserve.

Thanks once again for your patronage to that integral part of the ... hello ... hello ... hello ... is there anybody out there??? Last issue I sought some feedback but the silence is deafening Again, I say (hopefully not to an uninterested crowd) please do feel free to PM me any suggestions, views or gripes that you may have about this part of the newsletter. I'm sure that together we can only but go from strength to strength!! And just to prove that you do exist, I'm doing a little poll on the What's Where articles. Do you like the new automated gif or would you prefer to go back to our old way of doing things?

Anyway, here we are again, diligently bringing you the news, updates and insights of the Foundry. On a bright note, the Foundry is again back to doing what it does best. Providing a creative outlet for mapmakers and the CC community alike. Providing depth and meaning to the whole site!! The nice thing about the protest (yes, we haven't forgoten just yet) is that there seems to be a breath of fresh air into the Foundry. So good to see. As Michael Aquino once wrote:

One does not smash a good instrument because untrained students play it badly!

This issue I have had the pleasure of mapmakers providing answers to questions in a little survey that I put together. It's an interesting little piece that I've called The Famous Mapmakers' Survey. Between the answers themselves and the comments - this makes great reading (even if I do say so myself). Flapcake has brought another episode of his Voices From the Bin and of course Koontz1973 has continued his diligent efforts in scouring the Foundry for news and an update on the state of those maps. All in all it's been a huge fortnight. So, it's time to leave you with a few words from Saint Augustine of Hippo:

Imagine the vanity of thinking that your enemy can do you more damage than your enmity.

Mapmakers are an essential part of the Foundry. They make the maps! But what goes on in their heads and what makes them tick?

Dredging into the dim recesses of my past, I am reminded of Social Science research and the joys that statistics brings! Well, okay, you may not immediately see statistics a fun – but a few well chosen questions and some willing subjects and all of a sudden you have the makings of something interesting (perhaps this is an all new use of the word interesting but bear with me!).

The questions are derived from a distillation of the various articles that I have written about over the past year or so (also known as made up by me!). I had two sets of ten questions. The surveys were sent to carefully chosen mapmakers (44 questionnaires sent out and 16 questionnaires returned (two late) – a strike rate of 36% but given that this was a short-notice snapshot survey that is still meaningful). Participants could make additional comments (and I discuss those) but the identities of the participants remains known only to me and the participants so as to ensure both the integrity of the data and to ensure complete freedom to respond as the participants chose. There was a participant who commented on just one question but I will come to that in the discussion of that question – question 8 in the first part. The questionnaire was itself split into two divisions – the first covering the mapmakers views of the Foundry process and the second part covering the participants personal knowledge of mapmaking and related issues. For the first division, participants were asked to answer each question with a number using a scale (1=irrelevant, 2=unimportant, 3=neutral, 4=important and 5=crucial) regarding what they considered to be important or not in development of a map. Similarly, in the second division the participants were asked to denote their views using another scale (1=low, 2=mediocre, 3=neutral, 4=good and 5=excellent). I will discuss each question in turn and then make final comments at the end.

Part One: Question One - Distinct idea or theme

Is it important that the map have some idea and theme that is distinct? That is to say, is it just a map or is there more to it than that? The average response was a 4. Mapmakers consider this issue to be important. Here is a scatter-diagram of the responses:

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Of the comments, one said that this: "always helps". Of course it is entirely subjective what is a distinct idea or theme. People do not always even agree on what constitutes a theme. For instance, the Treasures of the Galapagos map has a distinct idea but what really is its theme? At the other end of the extreme there are the three Age of Realms maps – they have a unified theme but really there is commonality of idea rather than distinction but they are nevertheless still popular.

Part One: Question Two - Unique concept not seen in other maps

Is it important that there be something unique about the map that differentiates it from other maps? The average response was a 3. That is to say, mapmakers consider this issue to be neutral. Here is the scatter-diagram of the responses:

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As one mapmaker rightly notes: “All maps now are just copies of what has come before until the new xml features are more abundant.” Having said that, though, it is impressive what creative minds can do with a minimum of tools!

Part One: Question Thrree - Visually pleasant to look at

One person’s pleasant is another person’s ugly, but I’m sure that you get what I mean by this question. Mapmakers considered this issue to be important, with an average of 4. Here’s the scater diagram:

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In considering this issue neutral, one mapmaker stated: “I know a lot of people will disagree, but most won't . Just look at the maps that are being played the most. Graphics on a map is like the cover of a book. It gets you interested but that's it. The rest is up to the theme, features, strategy available on it and likelyhood of you winning on it.” I can’t agree more! Another mapmaker noted: “Good but it doesn't need to be that beautiful but some maps could have a better resolution. First Americas for example.”

Part One: Question Four - Graphical elements (words, images, territories, regions etc) that are well set out

This was something of a loaded question because it encompasses so much. Nevertheless, mapmakers considered this issue important, with an average answer of 4. Here’s the scatter diagram:

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As an example of the disparate factors that go into this question, one mapmaker noted: “I'm including a clear legend in this option.” This would be fertile ground for a separate questionnaire in and of itself!

Part One: Question Five - Clear gameplay with clear rules

This is another topic which the mapmakers considered important. Another question where the average answer was 4. And here’s the scatter diagram:

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As one mapmaker rightly notes: “Letting people confused is the worst thing to do.” Another mapmaker said: “And here too. The legend needs to make it clear how everything works. Not just to avoid farming, but that one part of it.” Again, this is a huge topic. Different people have different views about what gameplay is – from the gameplay is fun camp at one end to gameplay is strategy camp at the other and all shadesof thought in between.

Part One: Question Six - Showcasing XML features on CC

Obviously maps don’t work without XML, but there was a large diversity of view on this topic. The average response was 2. Here’s the scatter diagram:

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As one mapmaker astutely points out: “Showcasing as in improving them or just showing people how to make XML codes? If it's the former then 100000000000, if it's the latter then (2).” As XML develops, so does the options available to mapmakers (note the articles written on conditional borders recently, for example).

Part One: Question Seven - Connection to some real or meaningful event in history or literature

This was another question which resulted in a large diversity of answers. In my view this is a matter of personal taste and, like other things, mapmakers approach their task from hugely divergent backgrounds. The average response was 2. Here’s the scatter diagram:

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One mapmaker put it well, when they said: “Not Crucial but highly desirable. Some historic maps could even have a page to tell the history with more details as some people (me) love history.” Interestingly enough, two mapmakers renown for making maps with historical feel to them both considered this issue to be a 1! One of those said: “It's just like writing a novel, it doesn't have to be about a real event.”

Part One: Question Eight - Complexity so that farmers can get lots of points

This was without a doubt my most loaded and controversial question (a bit naughty on my part but there was no agenda). Frankly, I expected all participants to respond with a flat 1 and to perhaps even take offence. To my surprise four participants considered this neutral. The average answer was 2. Here’s the scatter diagram:

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One mapmaker rightly noted: “Making a nest of farmers is a bad idea.” Another mapmaker picked the question apart in this was: “What sort of question is this? I love complexity but not because of farming. In fact I love it despite of farming. (5) for complexity and (1) for farming.” As to offence, another mapmaker said this (and I am immensely proud of this response):

I was going to reply until I saw question #8 on the first part. That's a biased question, and I don't participate in biased surveys.

Just because a map is complex does not mean that it is aimed at farmers. I greatly enjoyed some of the more complex maps because they mean you must use a lot more strategy, and they are unique in their gameplay. My favorite complex map is WWII Ardennes, which bonuses that are spread across the map and has non standard gameplay in some places. This map is great for multiplayer (trench or not) and team play.

But a latecomer added these interesting thoughts:

About the 8 (complexity), I expect your taunt about farmer was just a taunt. I qualify it with a 4 (i even hesitated with a 5), because i think it's with the complexity we could have such different maps (also with many different xml features), and so, each map are not just a revamp of the classic where only the number and the shape of territ change. Also, it's always a brain headache pleasure to discover a map that force us to rethink the game and not just draw on our knowledges.

Part One: Question Nine - Popularity with the foundry

This was another question where I thought the responses would be interesting. And talk about divergent! The average was 3, but check out the scatter diagram:

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One mapmaker couldn’t decide whether to call this a 1 or a 5, noting: “While it should not be reliant to the foundry, without posts from others, no map moves forward.” Another mapmaker considered this a 4, and said: “Assuming anyone actually visits the foundry anymore.” An interesting response and it highlights the fact that the Foundry process is one of popularity.

This is an interesting question in its own right, hence its inclusion. To my surprise (I saw this as neutral or unimportant), mapmakers gave an answer that this issue is important – with an average of 4. Here’s the scatter diagram:

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I was educated further when one mapmaker clarified: “A good map should be playable with many different settings. If it's that type of map. I'm not against a map specially designed for a certain setting or feature (like 1v1 or fog). But then it better be real good at that setting!”

Part Two: Question One - Your experience as a map maker

This was an interesting question. Being subjective, the mapmakers gave their personal views of their own experience levels. Frankly, my subjective views of some of these mapmakers is clearly different than theirs and I would have expected a much higher average. The average (admittedly just for these participants who responded) was just 2! Here’s the scatter diagram:

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A couple of these mapmakers felt somewhat dejected by their experiences in the Foundry. One said: “natty and DiM pissed on all my ideas ”. Another completely undersold himself as having an experience level of 1 and suggested than he was now moving on to 1.5! I would have put him at a 4 and moving onto 5 but what do I know?! Another said: “I've tried three different projects and posted many ideas. Never got any further because it took so darn much time.” Another said he was going to: “leave foundry and end work on all my maps, maybe forever.” Maybe this is because, also, that some of these participants really thought of how things used to be before we had the recent injection of blood. One participant commented:

Here’s my 2 cents on why the foundry has little new blood. Natty and Dim, they are (were) way to hard on new foundry goers. Quite frankly I'm (kinda) glad to see them go. They downed on all 3 of my maps, but not [one]. Why? because they’re gone.

Part Two: Question Two - Your knowledge of graphic manipulation

Another set of surprising results, with an average of 3. The scatter diagram is truly diverse:

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There were no comments on this. I still think that this would be an interesting area to garner more feedback on mapmaker’s views and experiences but that clearly wasn’t where these participants wanted to go in this questionnaire.

Part Two: Question Three - Your understanding of gameplay concepts

Response to this question was about the most stable in the questionnaire. The average was a solid 4, as the scatter diagram attests:

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Perhaps this is sensible because how could you have a successful mapmaker if they didn’t know about gameplay concepts? One participant noted: “It's not all that much to understand really, after four years I've learned pretty much all there is to know about it.” Enough said.

This was an interesting question but perhaps it covered too wide a set of issues. Nevertheless, the participants were again stable and confident in their responses. With an average of 4, here’s the scatter diagram:

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This is an area where there is a lot of feedback in the Forum discussions. But as one participant put it: “I go with my gut. And my eyes. And they've developed a good understanding for it.”

Part Two: Question Five - Your ability to turn an event or story into a game

Another subjective question, again with a surprising array of responses. Again, those mapmakers which I see as exceedingly good at this task didn’t see it that was themselves. The average was still 4, but here’s the scatter diagram:

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I was encourages, however, by this comment from one of the participants: “This is what I'm good at. Getting ideas. I'm working on becoming a writer so I'm very familiar with that sort of creative process.”

Part Two: Question Six - Your ability to express rules succinctly

As commented on earlier, the instructions and key on a map are really important. This was, perhaps predictably, an area in which the participants perceived they struggled. After all, there’s a large difference between artistic skill and writing skill. Another truly diverse set of responses, with an average of 3. Here’s the scatter diagram:

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This response, from one of the participants, puzzled me: “I know the rules, they're not perfect of course. All you need to do is to quote them.” Perhaps this was an error in the question and thereby a reason why the responses were scattered. I was, of course, referring to the words that mapmakers put on their maps to explain to the user of the map how the rules of that map worked. But it is possible that the participants were considering other rules?

Part Two: Question Seven - Your understanding of XML programming

I guess this boils down to personal interest. Not everyone is interested in learning about programming. For some of us it’s enough to know that it is actually a combination between magic and mystery! The results were predictably diverse. With an average of 2, here’s the scatter diagram:

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Interestingly enough, there are some multitalented individuals amongst us who know a little about everything. As one participant said: “I've never gotten this far in my own projects but I know programming better than developing graphics.”

Part Two: Question Eight - Completing maps as being your goal

Another truly personal perspective. There was a wide diversity of responses here. With an average of 3, check out this scatter diagram:

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The results, at least to me, showed that the desire to complete maps is inversely proportional to the activity of completing them. That is to say, the more that mapmakers actually get published maps, the less important this factor seems to be.

Part Two: Question Nine - Ability to communicate within the forum

There are several factors at play with this question. There is the ability of the participant to express themselves, the ability to elicit responses, the ability to synthesize those responses and come back with a meaningful dialogue and finally the ability to move through the issues. Responses were again truly wide. But interestingly enough, the average was 4. Here’s the scatter diagram:

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It is pleasing to see that a majority of the responses are in the 4 to 5 category. But that’s as it should be. How else could anyone get something through the Foundry unless they could communicate? As one participant said: “I'm a communicator ”

Part Two: Question Ten - Commitment to the foundry process

This is another truly personal question. The average here was just 3. Here’s the scatter diagram:

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It is noted, however, that those with a low commitment did not (at least as at the time of this questionnaire) have an active presence in the Foundry. As one participant commented: “Used to be (4) or maybe even (5) but it has dropped off now. I'm on this site for LC, some casual games, correcting peoples wrongly held opinions and as of late also Mafia games.” That participant saw their commitment at this time at just a 2. To a degree, this result is also reflective of some difficult experiences that some participants have had in the Foundry over the years. It is pleasing to see, though, that those currently active had commitment in the 4s and 5s!

Conclusions

Firstly, I’d like to extend a note of warm appreciation to the participants of this survey. Despite the tight time-frame’s and invasiveness of the questionnaire, the participants selflessly provided their time and energy. One mapmaker noted:

Hope you turn our stats into something useful. I could've wasted these 30 minutes in some other pointless way but you got them this time haha. Although I can't see why you'd want this info in the first place. You're free to use my words as you wish, just don't quote them out of context.

Secondly, and in retrospect, I don’t think that question Eight in the first part was worded appropriately. I take the point entirely that the real issue was one about complexity – not farming – and if I had the chance to turn back time (as Cher so eloquently posits) I would stick to the complexity part of that question.

Thirdly, this survey shows that mapmakers are a unique breed. They are as different to each other as the days are long. CC is the winner there because how else would we get the variety that we have!

Fourthly, the results in the first section were not at all predictable. There was a general consensus that it was important that there be distinct ideas/themes, visually pleasant maps, well set out graphical elements, clear gameplay/rules and the ability to play in all the CC settings. Uniqueness and popularity are neutral factors. But showcasing XML, verisimilitude and farming (complexity?) were not important.

Finally, the second part of the survey was equally as revealing. Mapmakers understand gameplay, colour matching, modelling and communication well. Graphic manipulation, rule expression, completion and commitment to the process are neutral issues. But most surprisingly – experience and XML were lower in the order of importance. Mapmakers stick to their knitting and want to do more of it or they wouldn’t be there. For some the process has been difficult but then mapmaking (and indeed the Foundry forge) is not for everyone.

Please give me your feedback and a note of appreciation to the participants. This will be an interesting survey to repeat (although I have learned a few lessons and I wil be sure to give advance warning so there can be more participants – oh, and no questions on farming! )

Addendum

As is always the way in doing these things, there are the late-comers who send in their results shortly after you complete your conclusions. Interestingly enough, after crunching the numbers, the 15th participant's figures resulted in - get this - just two changes in the average scores! Truly remarkable and I am pleased to see that the results have more stastistical significance than ever. By jingo's, it's like the mapakers all think alike! The two differences are Part One: Question Six which jumps all the way to a 3 (neutral) and Part Two: Question Seven which also jumps to a 3 (neutral). In my opinion those two results really do not change the overall feel of the survey and the reinforcemets of the other participants on each and every other answer is astounding!

I will leave the final word to the last participant to respond, I couldn't wrap it up better if I tried:

I see a map as a meal :. the xml feature is the ingredient. With only flour and water, you make only bread. Add eggs, you have pasta. Or add milk, and you have brioche. The more different features we have, the more different foods we have, and so, the more different play experiences we can offer.. the theme (history, fiction, art) are the spices, the things that give more taste to a pasta & butter plate. the graphic is the artistic touch, the presentation of the meal. The stuff that change a sad canteen plate to a star chef plate.

And one last thing. Here's a competition for you. I offer a sparkling new General Achievement Award to the first person who spots the obvious, stupid but strangely ironic spelling error in one of the headings in this article. Quick, quick!!

Hi there ... yes ... more noise coming from the bin/Recycled box! This time from the very bottom.

Some terrible attempts landed there! But why do we need to listen to those voices? Well - think of the foundry as an iceberg: then the final forge is the top, tingling up on the surface, and the Recycled box under and down the abyss. Not many of CC users normally go there! The tip of the "iceberg", the foundry, would not exist without the Recycled box ... and vice versa! So even if some of the most terrible attempts to make a map landed there, they earned their place there, and it can be quite interesting (and fun!) looking at those long time forgotten maps or ideas.

It is possible to find even more horrible ideas or drafts, but we then need to visit the melting pot! Maps who end up in the Recycled box were brought forward from the melting pot and to the drafting room ... and sometimes even further. So, is it a coincidence which maps make it out of the melting pot? Is it the fantastic graphics? Or the amazing gameplay? Not always, the Recycled box are exactly a proof for that! No ... it’s the commitment, the involvement, the dedication, the passion ... these can bring the most terrible attempts all the way!

The genius about the Recycled box is that no map or idea is ever really dead. No matter how terrible the idea was. It's still breathing - and will do forever. Of course, some are just impossible to work further on! But they can give inspiration to others or be redrafted in to something interesting and exciting.

In my first edition of Voices from "The Bin" I gave you some examples of maps that were taken from the recycled box and brought back to the top. But how terrible are the worst attempts ever made really? I found some examples for you (hope I’m not offending anyone )

Its a matter of taste! Every single one is different and has a different taste, but sometimes they just go beyond a matter of taste

Well, while Gillipig figures out the math, the rest of us can enjoy all the serious, funny and complex attempts to make a map! Because that's what it is.

The creators behind these maps had lot of fun but it is obvious that they were also very serious when working on these maps. This is what it's all about ... having fun and creating from your mind to give fun to other people.

Don't sit up all night, trying to figure out the math just have fun and play the games!

Quenched Maps.3 maps quenched this time around. All made by our latest casualty to the foundry upheaval, natty dread.It is just a shame that this is his last foray into map making and he leaves us with this.

natty dread wrote:I have received feedback indicating that "French Canada" is offensive to some Canadians.I'm therefore proposing changing the bonus area name to Atlantic Canada.

thenobodies80 wrote:That update will never happen.

Since November 2009 natty has been a regular in the foundry making 12 maps to date. Good luck with whatever you choose to do next.New Beta Maps3 out of beta, 2 in.Congrats to Flapcake for getting his second map into betaand for chaos32679 for getting his first one into beta, New Jersey.I asked both 3 quick questions.Why New Jersey/Copenhagen?Any strategic tips for your maps?Did you enjoy making your maps?

Why New Jersey? I chose NJ because it was something familar to me, I was born and raised in NJ. I know the region well, which allowed me to focus on the graphics and gameplay right from the start.

Copenhangen, is the city im born in, and noe imployed by, copenhagen got so much cultural stuff and lots of fun by nigth.

Any strategic tips for your maps? Two keys to winning on this map in my opinion are holding the state capitol, Trenton (+1 auto deploy), and the Atlantic City region (+2 bonus).

strategic tips ? just claim the sights and enjoy the tour

Did you enjoy making your maps? Initially yes, I enjoyed the drafting room portion. The back and forth with the community about ideas was beneficial. Once it was in the XML stage I lost steam. Everything slowed to a crawl and it became more frustrating. All too often i felt my map was lost in the shuffle, only being looked at after I posted some smart ass comment. Overall, I feel the foundry needs to improve if it wants to lure new mapmakers, or retain the one's they have. Because of this, I probably will not be making any more maps. On a side note, I'd also like to take this space to thank Tisha for all of her help with this map. Without her, this map would never have made it to Beta. To be honest, I feel guilty taking any of the credit for this map, I just had an idea, Tisha turned it into a map. She deserves all the accolades/credit for this map.

I had a very plesant time working on copenhagen sightseeing, was fun discussing issues inm the fundry also

Two very different new maps from two very different people. Flapcake knows the foundry better so that may be why he enjoyed it more than chaos.

Where's LackLackattack has been missing for sometime now which is why those two maps cannot be played yet as well as Kings Court 2 which has still not come back from its holiday. Shame that after months of making them, these guys have to wait some more. The tension is palpable in the foundry. But lets see if you can find him.

This issue will have a quick look at the NewComers Cup 3 for scoring and minor predictions for advancements.

Clan League 4 has all but one of the finalists for each division. In Division 2: Mythology is taking on One Step ahead, Division 3: War vs The Brethren of the Fat Mermaid, Division 4: The Fraternal Order of Exceptional Drinkers vs The New Crusade, and in Division 5: Momento Mori vs Splunkers of Hell. Division 1 is still up in the air about who will advance on. Look for a full update on this in the next issue.

Fallen vs Headless HorsemenThe fallen have taken a fairly large lead in this war. They are currently leading 14-6. The second set is just about to become underway. I wouldn't count HH out of the war yet. But they will have to do some work to get back into it.

TNC vs AKAThe New Crusade has taken a decent size lead in this war as well. They are leading over AKA at a score of 16-7. All of the games are out with the second round getting underway just a short while ago. So many results should be coming in shortly. I expect TNC to take this war with a bigger lead than I had originally predicted. Sully Edit: TNC won versus AKA 24 to 14.

1RFG vs ROTS1RFG is leading this war but only by a slight margin. The score is currently 5-1. The second set of games should be starting fairly soon. But this was the last war to get underway, so these results should be coming in much later than the previous 2 wars.

It is still to early to tell who will be coming away with the win in each of these wars, but a pretty good idea has been set in front of us by the scores alone. I expect the Semi-Finals to be set in about a couple weeks.

P.S. is Post Script (the writing after) and there can be writings after after after after, so you can go P.P.S., P.P.P.S., P.P.P.P.S. ad infinitum, but P.S.S. Post Script Script (the writings writings after) just doesn't make sense.

If, by " the new automated gif" in "the What's Where articles", you mean the way the pictures cycle in "Maps in Development", I, for one, absolutely hate it. I can't even look at it (and the foundry section of the newsletter is one that I enjoy reading).

Ffraid wrote:If, by " the new automated gif" in "the What's Where articles", you mean the way the pictures cycle in "Maps in Development", I, for one, absolutely hate it. I can't even look at it (and the foundry section of the newsletter is one that I enjoy reading).

Do you want us to go back to our old format or do you want the cylcling to be slower ... or something else?

Ffraid wrote:If, by " the new automated gif" in "the What's Where articles", you mean the way the pictures cycle in "Maps in Development", I, for one, absolutely hate it. I can't even look at it (and the foundry section of the newsletter is one that I enjoy reading).

Do you want us to go back to our old format or do you want the cylcling to be slower ... or something else?

Personally, I just don't like stuff that cycles. I find it annoying. And I know that's weird to say, given my current sig, but I'm only flying this in honor of the BPB, who bought me my premium. I would prefer the old format over this one, but I'm not especially attached to it for any reason and would be open to something else. Are you of the opinion that it takes up too much room or something like that? I'm curious as to what prompted the change.

Ffraid wrote:If, by " the new automated gif" in "the What's Where articles", you mean the way the pictures cycle in "Maps in Development", I, for one, absolutely hate it. I can't even look at it (and the foundry section of the newsletter is one that I enjoy reading).

Do you want us to go back to our old format or do you want the cylcling to be slower ... or something else?

Personally, I just don't like stuff that cycles. I find it annoying. And I know that's weird to say, given my current sig, but I'm only flying this in honor of the BPB, who bought me my premium. I would prefer the old format over this one, but I'm not especially attached to it for any reason and would be open to something else. Are you of the opinion that it takes up too much room or something like that? I'm curious as to what prompted the change.

Much the same reason that your banner was created - because we could! But seriously, you aren't the first to comment and we will have a lok at that for the next issue. As to your own banner, you can always hide it in spoiler tags - that way you are still wearing the banner - but it is only displayed when people want to see it. You can then also add a substitute mini still version etc etc etc. But back to the thing at hand, partly it was to cut down on size, partly it was so that people would actually go to the Forum and look there and partly because we thought it looked hip, young and sexy!

Ffraid wrote:If, by " the new automated gif" in "the What's Where articles", you mean the way the pictures cycle in "Maps in Development", I, for one, absolutely hate it. I can't even look at it (and the foundry section of the newsletter is one that I enjoy reading).

Do you want us to go back to our old format or do you want the cylcling to be slower ... or something else?

Personally, I just don't like stuff that cycles. I find it annoying. And I know that's weird to say, given my current sig, but I'm only flying this in honor of the BPB, who bought me my premium. I would prefer the old format over this one, but I'm not especially attached to it for any reason and would be open to something else. Are you of the opinion that it takes up too much room or something like that? I'm curious as to what prompted the change.

Much the same reason that your banner was created - because we could! But seriously, you aren't the first to comment and we will have a lok at that for the next issue. As to your own banner, you can always hide it in spoiler tags - that way you are still wearing the banner - but it is only displayed when people want to see it. You can then also add a substitute mini still version etc etc etc. But back to the thing at hand, partly it was to cut down on size, partly it was so that people would actually go to the Forum and look there and partly because we thought it looked hip, young and sexy!